A POTENT cancer-busting pill created from vegetables could be the latest weapon against one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Scientists have discovered a powerful new compound found in veg including broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts that could revolutionise treatment for thousands of women.

They have found that a natural substance produced by the body after eating cruciferous vegetables can be used to treat several types of cancer, including the rare but deadly triple-negative breast cancer.

Researcher Dr Mandip Sachdeva, from Florida A&M University, said: “We are confident that the compounds we are currently working with are an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. These compounds are safer for the patient than current treatments available.”

Not only have the scientists managed to create the natural substance in a sufficiently potent form to treat cancer, they have also enhanced its efficacy by developing a way for it to be properly absorbed by the body.

They hope it could be available in a daily pill form in as little as five years

They now hope it could be available in a daily pill form in as little as five years.

The synthetic compounds are derived from diindolylmethane (DIM), which are commonly found in various types of cruciferous vegetables.

It is a natural substance produced when the body breaks down a compound found in vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

The research was welcomed by breast cancer charities because triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease, growing faster, spreading to other parts of body earlier, is harder to detect on a mammogram and recurs more often.

Triple negative cancers account for up to 1 in 5 of all breast cancers in the UK meaning around 7,263 women are effected.

They do not respond to hormonal treatments though they may respond better than other cancers to chemotherapy.

Dr Caitlin Palframan, policy manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “Some of our most effective cancer treatments are derived from plants so looking at chemicals found in broccoli and Brussels sprouts could be fruitful.

“However, this research is in its very early stages and much more will be needed before we are able to say if these new drugs will be safe and effective for treating triple negative breast cancer.

“We do need targeted treatments for triple negative breast cancer as chemotherapy is currently the only drug option. Many possibilities are currently being extensively researched and we are hopeful that the answers are not too far away.”

Dr Sachdeva said, in contrast to existing anticancer drugs, these new compounds are orally active, so they could be available to patients in pill form and be safe to take daily.

He even hopes that, when taken in combination with existing anti-cancer drugs, they could even mean people could be given a lower dose of the toxic chemotherapy as they would boost its effectiveness at a less potent level.

This would slash the side effects suffered by women and effectively decrease the number of treatments they receive.

Speaking to the Daily Express ahead of the conference, Dr Sachdeva said: “We are very, very excited about this because the compounds are safe at low or high doses in animals - it is not toxic at all. Most anti-cancer drugs are toxic at higher doses. Our aim is to give the lowest dose possible and for it to be the most potent.

“Being non-toxic makes them amenable to be used for a long time for a patient if their therapy lasts for the long-term.

“It will have multiple benefits. They are safe compounds, they are derived from cauliflower and broccoli and such vegetables. We have concentrated the compound because you couldn’t eat the huge amounts of vegetables that would be required to see the benefit.

“Triple negative breast cancers do not have many treatments. Keeping that in mind, this approach could be very helpful. In five or six years we will have a very good idea about how effective it will be. We will have data from patients to assess their potency.”